You might end up making a trip to the hospital this winter during cold and flu season. But did you know that hospitals, despite the appearance of sterility, are crawling with viruses and bacteria? Many people catch methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or staph infection from hospitals.
Here are some useful tips to help keep you staph-free when visiting a hospital. First, if you are having surgery, ask the doctors if they will give you antibiotics. Typically, doctors provide antibiotics before surgery and stop within 24 hours to reduce the risk of wound infection. But do not assume that doctors will give you antibiotics – make sure to ask.
Before surgery, ask how nurses will remove hair before the procedure. Staff should use an electric clipper and never a razor. A razor produces tiny cuts that can get infected. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that the shaving should occur immediately before the surgery and not the night before surgery.
Ask your visitors to refrain from visiting you if they have a cold or any other type of illness. You are most vulnerable to any type illness during your recovery period. Even someone with a mild cold presents a threat to you. Lastly, do not be afraid to ask the nurses and doctors to wash their hands before touching you. By washing their hands, they are protecting you from a hospital-caused illness, noted one doctor.
Harrell & Nowak, L.L.C. – New Orleans medical malpractice attorneys